The Masters Tournament 2024 – Rules: Wind Moves Ball on Green

The wind made the second round of the Masters Tournament 2024 a real challenge. Leaves and pine needles were blown across the course and in some cases even the sand was blown out of the bunkers. But at least all the trees were still standing, unlike last year.

The Masters Tournament 2024: Wind moves the ball

The wind still had an impact on the game, however, with players repeatedly cancelling their shot attempts because the wind suddenly changed. However, it was particularly tricky for Gary Woodland. He was just about to putt on 16 when his ball suddenly developed a life of its own. The wind caused the ball to move on its own and roll across the green.

Gary Woodland’s ball just blew 40 feet away on 16 at the Masters!😳pic.twitter.com/pdr5C5AMDJ — Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) April 12, 2024

What is to be done in such a case according to the Rules of Golf?

Rule 9.3 states: “If natural forces (such as wind or water) cause a player’s ball at rest to move there is no penalty, and the ball must be played from its new spot.”

But fortunately for Woodland, for whom this meant the difference between a putt from seven feet or a monster putt, there is an exception: “If the player’s ball on the putting green moves after the player had already lifted and replaced the ball on the spot from which it moved the ball must be replaced on its original spot.”

Even if the ball was unmarked at the time it started to move, this exception applied because Woodland had already marked and picked it up. This means that Woodland had to estimate where the ball had been and was allowed to play it from there.

He made the par on the 16th, but it couldn’t save him the cut. Woodland played a round of 81 and was seven strokes over par on the back nine alone.